SUPREME COURT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 8 May 1930, Page 5

SUPREME COURT

“MEAN AND SHADY SWINDLE” (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 7. Arthur 'Smith, licensee of the Royal Hotel, Lyttelton, was found guilty, of false pretences in the Supreme Court to-day and remanded until Friday for sentence. Smith was formerly a fisherman, own. er of a launch on which he had borrowed £3OO from the Repatriation Department. He later sold the launch to .Tames Shears for £3OO but without telling Shears that as it-was mortgaged he had no right to sell it. This was the basis of the false pretences charge. Smith had also stated he had leased the launch to one Anderson, that it had 'been taken by Anderson to Wellington and Anderson had written him that the launch was a total loss, having been burned. The Crown Prosecutor declared Smith had been guilty of a mean and shady swindle, a disreputable fraud. The .jury brought in a verdict of guilty after 10 minutes’ retirement. TWO DRIVERS ACQUITTED PALMERSTON N., May 7. At the Supremo Court to-day, after two and a-half hours’ retirement, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty in the case against Bache Wright Har. vcy, a farmer, of Waverley, on a charge of negligent driving, thereby causing death. The charge was a sequel to a fatal accident near Palmerston 'North on January '4B, when Harvey’s car collided at an intersection with a motor cycle ridden by two men, both of whom werp killed. Leonard Douglas Anderson, arraigned on a similar charge, was also acquitted. The trial was a sequel to a collision* near Feilding on February I*6, when two motor cyclists collided at night, 'One being: killed. ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE AUCKLAND, May 7. Tn tho Supreme Court Robert Morton, ship's fireman, and James Daley were charged with robbery with violence in a Hobson Street house on April 4. Alternative charges were assault and theft. Morton reversed his plea and was committed for sentence. Daley «tood trial, and was- found guilty of assault with intent to rob, and was remanded far sentence. •BROKE INTO WIFE'S HOUSE AUCKLAND, May 7. Charged with breaking and entering libs wife’s house with intent to commit a crime, and with assaulting his son, Ernest William Armstrong, an insurance agent, aged 49, pleaded not guilty in the 'Supreme Court here to-day. lie was found guilty of breaking and enter, dug with intent’. A strong recommendation to mere.v was made, and sentence was deferred.